good morning, america, inauguration day. we're live from washington, d.c., as president obama begins his second term. >> i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear. >> the battle lines drawn for the next four years. unity, immigration, and america's debt. up to 1 million are set to watch the president address the country from the capitol. the celebrations have already begun. ♪ baby, you're a firework >> as he reveals his vision for the country. the perils and promises ahead.

and obama's agenda for america. and good morning, america. we're live to you, right now, across the country. "gma" special inauguration coverage. magnificent morning here, for the celebration of our enduring democracy. there's the national mall right there. the crowd's starting to gather. some 800,000 expected today in the shadow of the washington monument and the capitol. there's the view the president will have, from high atop the capitol, right now. everyone, converging on the center of washington. there's the president and his family, just after 8:30 this morning. going to church services, st. john's episcopal church, across from the white house. reverend luis leon, the rector

right there. four years ago, the president began his inauguration day there, as well. also today, martin luther king day, a dual celebration. we're noting that, as well. the martin luther king memorial. the president will have his hand on the bible of martin luther king and abraham lincoln, as he re-enacts the oath of office from the capitol this morning. there it is right there. what a magnificent sight it is. robin, i know you're watching from home today. i wish you could be down here with us. we cannot wait to have you back. the whole gang is in new york, as well. we'll be covering the inauguration all day long on abc news. josh elliott out on the mall right now. josh, you've been tracking the celebrations all weekend long. what do you have right now? >> i'm actually here on pennsylvania avenue, veritably, in the shadow of the capitol, as the parade makes its way past.

barack obama and the presidency, the realization of the dual dream of dr. king and abraham lincoln. he'll be using those two bibles when he takes the public oath of office, again, all leading to a remarkable day here on the national mall. overnight, the president attended the first event of his second term, a candlelight reception. >> what we're doing is celebrating each other. and celebrating this incredible nation that we call home. >> reporter: where he addressed the issue everyone in washington has been discussing. >> i love michelle obama. to address the most significant event of this weekend, i love her bangs. >> reporter: hours earlier, at the white house, the second term began, as he took the oath of office, in a private ceremony.

the influx of spectators who descended upon washington, to watch obama be sworn in a second time. >> the theme of this year's inauguration, is our people, our future. >> reporter: while the president plans to look to the future, he'll also pay tribute to the past. he'll be sworn in on two bibles. one used by abraham lincoln. and one, fittingly on this day, used by martin luther king. the day will have its share of star power. katy perry kicked things off at a concert earlier this weekend. ♪ at last

and beyonce, whose rendition of edda james' "at last" will this time perform the national anthem at the ceremony. george, the floodgates seem to have opened. we're expecting near 1 million people here for the swearing in and the parade to follow. we'll be here all day long. george? >> thanks, josh. today is a day for poetry and pageantry and parades. abc's jon karl is live at the capitol with more on that. as the president is ready to deliver his speech steps from where you are, his team is gearing up for the dig debates on so many issues. >> reporter: no doubt. and they are transforming that campaign, to win the election into a force, they believe, a grassroots army to get that second agenda passed. this is a day when you really feel the history in the air. the president will walk through that red archway, down those steps.

there's only been 56 of these in all of american history. only 55 separating us from george washington, put his hand on the bible. and people have been gathering here since before the sun was out. streaming in. from my vantage point, i don't know if you can see that, down the national mall, you can see hundreds of thousands of people in place. not the massive, more than 1 million, 1.8 million that came last time around. but definitely, one of the biggest crowds we'll see for an inauguration. certainly for the second inauguration. in terms of the speech, it is a tone-setting speech. setting the tone for the president's second term. his aides say it will be a hopeful term. but make no mistake, george, this is also one where he is playing for the history books. >> jon karl, we'll come back to you in a little bit. let's go out to cecilia vega, at the pentagon, where the marching bands have been getting ready all morning. >> reporter: george, good morning. this is the staging area.

this is where the party is starting. 9,000 marchers in this parade today. this is a special group. they look warm. they're all gear eed up. you're from honolulu, hawaii. you have a special alumni. >> we're from president barack obama's alma mater. >> reporter: the secret to staying warm out here. one thing, hand warmers. we are living on these things out here today. it's going to be a really good day. they're going to have a lot of fun from here, as they head over on the giant buses you see here. this group is so large, they're filling up three of the buses. and they're going to head down on the parade march, a mile or so from the capitol, to the white house. and saying hello to one hawaiian, they know and love. >> they don't have use for the warm-up suits in hawaii. let's go to david muir right now. he's at the capitol, right on the steps, where so many are gathering today. >> reporter: right in the shadow of the steps.

the scene around me. this is where the president will be today. you see the crowd here. you guys are on "good morning america" right now, if you want to say good morning to the country. they've been here since early this morning, many of them lining up around 5:00 this morning. and one thing, george, you hear over and over again, other than the excitement of being here for the presidential inauguration, is just simply how much better the conditions are than they were four years ago. it is 34, 35 degrees. we just checked the app on our iphone before we came on the air this morning. it should go up to 45. and many of the folks here last time, remember that. a lot of the folks remember were further down the mall. i want to show you over my shoulder. you see the washington monument, a little more than a mile off in the distance. beyond that, the lincoln memorial. they're expecting 800,000, as josh mentioned a moment ago, to gather all along the national mall here, to watch the president, as he walks through the archway and swears in on his second term here, just a few hours from now, george. a beautiful morning here in

washington, d.c. they're expecting the front to move in later today. but not until after the parade, which is great news, george. >> it sure is. thanks, very much. we're going to talk to our team of abc news political contributors that are going to be here all day with us. matthew dowd and donna brazile. and of course, our own cokie roberts. cokie, let me begin with you. we talked about the crowds. happy, buoyant crowds. smaller than four years ago. and it gets to the question of the challenge of second inaugurals, always tough. >> yes. the first inaugural, particularly when you had a change of party, is such a symbolic moment. turning over the reins. the helicopter comes and takes the old president away and the new president proceeds. and so, this is very different from that. but it is still a moment when everybody comes together and says, okay. this is america's day. this is not a democratic day. this is not a republican day. this is a day to celebrate the country. and i think the president will

play on that. but also, on the fact that this is martin luther king day. and to have an african-american president taking the oath on martin luther king day is very significant. we're celebrating the 150th anniversary of the emancipation proclamation. we, 100 years ago, had a chief justice swear in woodrow wilson. that chief justice served in the confederate army. we've come a very long way. and it's because of martin luther king as much as anything. so, i think the president will reflect on that. >> and, donna, the president will be putting his hands on martin luther king's bible, as well as abraham lincoln's bible. but the issue of race is not something he put at the front of his presidency. >> president obama has tried to unify the country on the issue of race. he understands that we have not overcome, in terms of race. that dr. king's dream is very much alive.

we haven't fulfilled this dream. this is a very historic year. the 50th anniversary of the march on washington for jobs and freedom. this is also an anniversary of megaer evens. and his wife, myrlie evers-williams will speak. >> and he is free to speak out on the second term. >> why not? these are american issues we are talking about. we talk about jobs and the economy. if dr. king were alive today, he would press president obama to end the inequality in our country to address poverty. those are universal now because poverty is a white issue, as well as a black and hispanic issue, as well. >> cokie pointed out. this is when we try to set aside

our political differences. that's some of the unfinished business of president obama's first term. >> the main part of the unfinished business of his first term had to do with the divisions in this country. he said he was going to bring the country together, and unify the country. but as we sit here today -- and this is what makes the difference between the first and the second term. the first term is always about hope. the second term is hard work. it's like the difference between each of the two campaigns. it's a huge thing you see the difference in, the president, last time, when he took the inauguration, had a 68% approval rating on inauguration day. today, he has 52%. and there's a section of the country that does not want him, even though they're going to celebrate today as part of the history, they still don't want him as president of the united states. >> you mentioned the 52% approval rating. that was the same approval rating that your former boss, george w. bush, had on his inauguration day. >> by the time august and katrina happened, the end of his

presidency started with that. hetarted at 52 and went down to the end of it. >> you can make argument against term limits. but lyndon johnson understood, he had a few months. just a few months. that's when he got voting rights done. that's when he got a lot of those major pieces of great society legislation done, was in those months of 1965. medicare, all that. and so, i think we're likely to see a lot of activity right now. >> on immigration, guns, debt. all coming up. we're going to get that all day long here. i want to go back to josh elliott on pennsylvania avenue. you're giving us a little weather, right, josh? >> it's a beautiful day. you were speaking of the battle lines drawn. let today stand as it is, an oasis of unity. one that is brisk but sunny. we want to thank our sam champion dearly for the weather we have in the nation's capital today, sam. >> just because it could have been worse. we've had everything.

it's the topic all politicians and news folks will agree on today. washington's weather regularly changes in january. ronald reagan had the warmest and the coldest inauguration day. 55 degrees, and the coldest ever, 7 degrees in 1985. here's what we're looking at during the day today. we think at the swearing-in, the temperature's about 40 degrees. and we're almost there. and the parade is two miles long. do they make a walk? it's 45 degrees during the day today, during the inaugural parade around 2:30. behind that, everyone's been talking about it, the thought there will be brutal cold air and a snowshower that comes in during the day today. it's not today. it's tonight. and the temperatures will drop for a good part of the country, from the great lakes, all the way to our nation's capital. george? >> thank you, sam. i'm sure the president and first lady will be getting out. we'll get a look at what they're wearing. coming up, as our live

coverage continues, we're going to have our fashion expert weighing in, as "good morning america" continues with inauguration day, 2013.

back with our special coverage of "gma" at the inauguration. you see the crowds down there. i know somewhere down there is

bill weir, between the washington monument and the capitol. can you hear me? >> i can hear you, george. good morning. let me give you a taste of what it's like for people who stayed home. you get up before dawn. and you put on six layers. and you stuff the warmers into your socks. and you walk out on the mall. and when people see this crowd, they light up. there's excitement. they literally start dancing. this is about the part when reality sets in that we have three hours to kill. and we have to sit around. we have people getting up card games here. we're hanging out. this is shawn semler. he's from the st. louis area. and we've decided to talk to them because of his old glory pajama pants. how are you doing, man? >> feeling good. >> shawn turned 16 in december. and he said he wanted to spend his 16th going to see the inauguration. any regrets thus far? >> not at all. >> history is keeping you warm,

huh? >> yeah. >> outstanding. let's go back to george. >> i love watching you on inauguration day. i want to go to deborah roberts right now. she's at freedom plaza by the mall. and, deborah, you're on the fashion beat today. we had the first sighting of the first lady and her daughters. tell us about the fashion. >> reporter: i have to tell you, george. it's all about the pomp and pageantry. and people are waiting for the parade and history. we want to know what the first lady is going to wear. this morning, you saw her going to church in that beautiful, blue coat and jacket by american designer thom browne. and she had to do signature j. crew. j. crew belt and j. crew shoes. and the first daughters were clad in j. crew. it's clear that the first lady is tipping her hat to american designers. yesterday, when the president was sworn in, she wore reed krakoff. and last night, she donned a

michael kors frock. a lot of these are designers she's wore before. designers at the top of her list. but you want to know, what is she going to wear tonight? a short gown? a short dress or a long gown? some people are wondering if she might go a little casual since this is the second inauguration? something tells me on an occasion like today, she will not go casual. at the end of the day, what designer will get her blessing? you know that designer will get a lot of attention. we love the history of the moment. tomorrow, of course, we're going to talk a lot about fashion. >> so many questions out there. deborah, thanks very much. let's go to amy robach in new york. >> it will be a life-changing moment, for one designer tonight when michelle obama steps out for the inaugural ball. joining us is the woman who wrote the book on the first lady's fashion choices, kate betts, "the everyday icon:

michelle obama." what we saw mrs. obama wearing to church, the navy coat and dress by thom browne, does that give us insight into what she might wear tonight? >> we see a streamline style. it's serious and somber. i think tonight, she might wear something a little more sleek, something we've seen before in the past. what's really interesting is when you look at the tableau of her today with the girls in the fuchsia and periwinkle coat, it's all about the next generation. >> all the colors go well today. the girls had j. crew and kate spade on, sticking with american designers. how many designers are in the running to design her inaugural dress? and what is this process like? >> they never know, obviously. five to ten designers are solicited for sketches. and ideas for the dress. they never know until she comes out at the inaugural ball what she's going to wear, if she's

going to wear their dress. and she doesn't want -- she wants to keep us guessing. >> what a great surprise it is for that designer because last year, jason wu's white, beautiful gown for the innag rati inauguration. he got 4 million hits on his website the next day. >> it puts the designer on the map. it really made him a star overnight. and it catapulted his business to the forefront. sudd suddenly, we saw the retailers in the front row of his shows. all of the magazine editors and newspaper reporters. it really puts them on the map globally. and it gives them great exposure. >> how would you compare michelle obama's style to other first ladies? >> i think she dresses to stand out. and she makes a statement with her style. and she uses it to express an emotional tether. >> we'll jump on the website tomorrow morning. kate betts, thanks so much.

and we'll be right back.

look at those crowds forming. diane sawyer is joining george in a few moments for complete coverage of president obama's second inauguration on this martin luther king jr. day. we will be on the air covering all of it throughout the day,

live, on abc news and online at goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! stay with us. george and diane and our entire abc news inauguration team will be right back.

>> this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning everyone. is 9:27 on this inauguration day. i am scott thuman with your local news update. we want to show you some of crowds filling in here at the national mall. is a view of the capitol steps. 700,000 expected on the mall today. president obama will take the office at noon. some important notes. if you are taking metro, franconia, springfield, rhode

avenue, they are all full. metro is asking only that inaugural with ticket's use that station. what everyone will else wants to is the forecast e like.o b we will go to jacqui jeras. >> not a bad day. we have the sunshine, so that helps. 35 degrees. you are outside at length you cover up. wear a hat, gloves, scarf. you are going to need it if you are out there. look at the hour by hour forecast. '40's today. 42 degrees by noontime. to 47 degrees by 3:00. we do have a chance of brief as we headed to the evening hours tonight. nothing to worry about. our arctic blast just-in-time, will arrive late tonight. tomorrow and

wednesday in the '20s. our wind chill factor on what could make it feel like single digits. is the coldest air we have